Support device for a cupola or other plastic skylight



ept- 1967. M. E. MATHIEU SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A CUPOLA OR OTHER PLASTIC SKYLIGHT Filed June 9, .1965

m m E V m fl/J/f' fag/YE M472 5 0 BY #W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,340,656 SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A CUPOLA OR OTHER PLASTIC SKYLIGHT Marie Eugene Mathieu, 80 Ave. de la Liberte, Luxembourg, Luxembourg Filed June 9, 1965, Ser. No. 462,641 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-200) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The combination of a prefabricated annular closure element and a cupola is disclosed, the caisson ring having a lower portion for anchoring it about an opening of a concrete roof and an upper annular portion for supporting a cupola. The ring has a flanged collar at the upper portion to which the cupola is connected, a flexible annular sealing joint being interposed between the flange of the collar and the cupola resting on it.

The present invention relates to a support device for floating cupolas and other plastic skylights permitting overhead lighting in concrete roofs.

It is found in practice that normal constructional systems always require shuttering, traditionally made of wood, for casting apertures in concrete roofs.

It is often then necessary to raise walls Whose construction is complicated and expensive, whose upper part must meet rigorous demands on thickness and slope, and whose sides must be sealed and painted, most often necessitating supplementary outer shuttering with chamfering and then expensive sealing.

These concrete or masonry erections are sometimes replaced by prefabricated structures made of concrete, metal or plastic material, but these never overcome the need to provide internal shuttering for the concrete of the roof and then to finish off this cast concrete with sealing and paint.

The plastic skylights are then aflixed to these structures by-means of bolts, causing internal stresses which after a certain time often lead to cracking, splintering and breakage. Finally, removal of condensation has never been effectively achieved with horizontal channels.

The objects of the new device are to simplify considerably the set of operations, to reduce the cost thereof, to reduce construction time considerably, to provide integral floating fixation of the skylights together with complete sealing, while allowing internally condensed water to flow out, and finally to improve the aesthetic effect of the assembly.

Several embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of example in the attached drawings.

FIGURE 1 gives a perspective view of the support device;

FIGURE 2 is a partial section of said device on an enlarged scale;

FIGURES 3 to 5 show variant embodiments.

According to the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2, the device comprises a ring 1 of frusto-conical section for round cupolas, and of frusto-pyramidical section for other shapes, having at its upper edge a collar 2, while the outer face of said ring carries anchoring projections 3.

The extreme simplicity of the construction system should be noted. It is suflicient to place the prefabricated element or frusto-conical ring 1, made for example of asbestos cement, on the roof assembly shuttering at the site provided for the skylight apertures.

3,340,656 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 These rings provide caissons forming true lost shuttering for casting the concrete of root 8. The anchoring projections 3 ensure intimate bonding with this concrete.

The concrete of the slope 9 for rain water flow from the roof can then be very easily cast against this lost shuttering formed by the ring 1, and sealing may be very readily effected without needing complicated and tedious special operations.

Since the upper shaped edge of these elements forms the base for aflixing the plastic skylight 6, it is enough to place this on a flexible joint 4 and to fix it to the base by means of safety hooks 5.

It should be noted that the special shape of the profiled collar allows wind-driven rain to be kept out by forming a peripheral retaining gutter which returns the wind and the driven rain.

Furthermore, internally condensed water is collected on the upper edge of the collar and escapes naturally by capillarity through the sealing joint, under the force of gravity. It is not at all necessary to seal and coat these prefabricated elements in any manner, but they may be provided with a coat of primer, enamel paint and others.

The aesthetic appearance of premises, seen from the inside, is considerably improved by the straight line, without any angle or shape, of the inner part of the lost shuttering.

FIGURES 3-5 show variant embodiments of the invention, the collar 2 having very different shapes, but always possessing at least one surface parallel to the edge of face 7 of cupola 6, to receive the joint 4.

Also the collars 2 comprise elements returning the wind and the driven rain, which prevents joint 4 being subjected to wind and rain, which are always harmful, especially since wind penetrating between the collar and the cupola fixing edge tends to separate them and consequently lift the latter.

Finally the collars serve to form a seating for the hooks 5 provided to ensure retention in the event of very strong storms.

It will be recognized however that for aesthetic purposes, for example, the ring may be provided with any decoration such as mouldings, indents, etc., on its internal surface.

The invention has been described and illustrated by way of indication only, and in no way limitingly; numerous modifications of detail may obviously be applied within the spirit thereof.

What we claim is:

1. In a device, the combination of a prefabricated annular closure element and a cupola which comprises, a one piece caisson ring having an outer surface and an inner surface and being formed of a material resistant to concrete cast against it, said caisson ring having a lower portion for anchoring said ring about an opening of a concrete roof structure and an upper annular portion for supporting a cupola, the outer surface of said ring having anchoring means to effect bonding of said ring to concrete cast against it, a flanged collar extending externally from said upper portion of the ring, said flanged collar having an upper surface serving as a wind and rain breaking gutter and as a support for said cupola, the flange of said collar having an under surface to which cupola connecting means may be coupled, a cupola covering said caisson ring having a laterally extending mounting flange for resting against the flange of the collar, a flexible annular sealing joint interposed between the flange of the collar and the flange of the cupola, and connecting means coupling the flanges to each other so as to hold the cupola in place.

3 4 2. A device as in claim 1, characterized in that the References Cited upper face of the collar is parallel to the mounting flange UNITED STATES PATENTS of the cupola.

3. A device as in claim 1, characterized in that the 2280647 4/1942 Hawes 52 200 upper surface of the collar comprises a circumferential 5 FOREIGN PATENTS surface parallel to the mounting flange of the cupola 526 967 6/1956 Canada and adapted to receive the annular sealing joint. 1273271 8/1961 France.

4. A device as in claim 1, characterized in that the 12/1960 Germany caisson comprises a ring of frusto-conica-l shape, having rough external portioris While its upper portion is pro- 10 DAVID WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. vided with a flanged c0 lar extending externally and downwards comprising a homogeneous asbestos assembly. KENNETH D E Exammer' 

1. IN A DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF A PREFABRICATED ANNULAR CLOSURE ELEMENT AND A CUPOLA WHICH COMPRISES, A ONE PIECE CAISSON RING HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE AND AN INNER SURFACE AND BEING FORMED OF A MATERIAL RESISTANT TO CONCRETE CAST AGAINST IT, SAID CAISSON RING HAVING A LOWER PORTION FOR ANCHORING SAID RING ABOUT AN OPENING OF A CONCRETE ROOF STRUCTURE AND AN UPPER ANNULAR PORTION FOR SUPPORTING A CUPOLA, THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID RING HAVING ANCHORING MEANS TO EFFECT BONDING OF SAID RING TO CONCRETE CAST AGAINST IT, A FLANGED COLLAR EXTENDING EXTERNALLY FROM SAID UPPER PORTION OF THE RING, SAID FLANGED COLLAR HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE SERVING AS A WIND AND RAIN BREAKING GUTTER AND AS A SUPPORT FOR SAID CUPOLA, THE FLANGE OF SAID COLLAR HAVING AN UNDER SURFACE TO WHICH CUPOLA CONNECTING MEANS MAY BE COUPLED, A CUPOLA COVERING SAID CAISSON RING HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING MOUNTING FLANGE FOR RESTING AGAINST THE FLANGE OF THE COLLAR, A FLEXIBLE ANNULAR SEALING JOINT INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE FLANGE OF THE COLLAR AND THE FLANGE OF THE CUPOLA, AND CONNECTING MEANS COUPLING THE FLANGES TO EACH OTHER SO AS TO HOLD THE CUPOLA IN PLACE. 